National Order of the Legion of Honour to be awarded to five veterans in June

Veterans from the Second World War chat while at Vimy Day celebrations at the branch 15 of the Royal Canadian Legion in New Waterford Wednesday, including, from left, Stanley Stepaniak, Marshall Desveaux and Joe Petrie. The veterans are three of the five in the community who will be receiving the National Order of the Legion of Honour from the Government of France in June.

During Vimy Day celebrations Wednesday, Tom White, service officer, said the five living New Waterford Second World War veterans will be awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour, a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802.

The legion nominated the veterans for the honour.

"This is the highest civil decoration France gives out," White said. "It's an honour like the Order of Canada is here. It is for the Liberation of France, for the veterans who went in on D-Day."

White announced the veterans to receive the medal include Stanley Stepaniak, Marshall Desveaux, Joe Petrie, Joseph Meagher and Horace Lovell.

George McLellan, president of the branch, welcomed those in attendance at the ceremony to the celebrations Wednesday, describing it as "not only a day to mark not only the 97th anniversary of this nation’s victory at Vimy Ridge but also to pay tribute to the passing of a remarkable generation who helped to end the conflict."

"This tremendous sacrifice can rightly be regarded as a defining moment in the history of Canada and is one which we will never forget," he said.

The battle was waged for only three days with more than 20,000 soldiers involved in the first wave of the attack. By April 12, the entire ridge was under Allied control. A total of 3,598 Canadians were killed.

Veterans from the Second World War chat while at Vimy Day celebrations at the branch 15 of the Royal Canadian Legion in New Waterford Wednesday, including, from left, Stanley Stepaniak, Marshall Desveaux and Joe Petrie. The veterans are three of the five in the community who will be receiving the National Order of the Legion of Honour from the Government of France in June.